Apparatus for conditioning air



March 3, 1942. H. J. KAUFMAN APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING AIR Filed Nov.3Q, 1939 Fla.

, INVENTOR. ham yw m lwm BY M; W ATTORNEY:

Patented Mar. 3, 194-2 pairs-p stares rarest rricr 4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for conditioning air, andparticularly to the use of a comparatively inexpensive deliquescentJoy-product, such as granulated or flake calcium chloride, for thedehumidification of air.

One of the objects of the invention isto provide a storage space for thedeliquescent solid material for dehiunidifying air to anextremely drycondition and to provide a source for supplying another space withdeliquescent solution for dehumidifying air to a normally dry condition.Another object of the invention is to provide a storage space for thefresh deliquescent solid material that can be periodically filledwithout efiecting the operation of the apparatus "and which willmaintain a fixed amount of surface of deliquescent solid in contact withthe .air.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for conditioningthe air for-human come fort in localities where the water supply has acomparatively high temperature, without the use of mechanicalrefrigeration,

A. further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that isself cleaning and self draining in all of its parts so that all vaporsand solids removed from the air will be washed down through theapparatus and carried awaybythe waste solution.

This application is a continuation, in part, of my previous application,Serial No. 87,027, filed June 24, 1936, now Patent No. 2,184,998,granted December 6, 1939.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a longitudinal section through the air passages of thedeliquescent solid dehydrator and through the deliquescent solutiondehydrator showing the cooling coils, fan, motor and automaticregulation in diagram.

Figure 2 is a transverse section through the deliquescent solid anddeliquescent solution dehydrators.

Figure 3 is a plan section throughuthe deliquescent solid dehydrator.

Figure 4 is a, plan section throughthe deliquescent solution dehydrator.

Referring particularly to Figure 1; air is drawn into the case [Bthrough the inlet grille H, into the space 12, past the pre-cooling coil13, between the dampers It and between the dampers l5, the said dampersare rotated on the .pivots 16 by means of the arms I! rotating on thepivots is which are attached to and moved by the rod [9, which is movedup -or down by the damper motor 20 operating the arm 2l, which rotateson the pivot 22 and islattached to the rod It :by the pivot 23. Aportion .or all of the air is drawn'between the dampers M or 15Vaccordingtothe position ofthe. said dampers.

Air passing between the dampers M is drawn through the air passages 24in contact with the deliquescent solid :25 in the spaces 26, past theafter-cooling coil 2;! and into the space 28.

Air passing betweenthe dampers I5 is drawn over and between the plates29 in contact with the deliquescent solution, past the after-coolingcoil 2 and into-the space .28.

Air is drawn from the space 28 the fan 30 driven by the motor 3!supported by the bracket 32 to the said case It and discharged throughthe outlet grille 33.

Deliquescent solid material in granulated or flake form 25 is pouredinto the hopper 34, which is kept airtight by means of the doors 3,5.The deliquescent material 25 flows down into the spaces 26 which areclosed from each other and at the ends by the members 36. The sides 31and the'bottoms 38 of the spaces '26 are formed of wire cloth orperforated metal, which supports the deliquescent solid material inplace and which allows it to absorb vapors by'contact with the airintheair passages 24. The sides 31 of thespaces26 are held in place by thehorizontal members 39. The tops-and the upperportions of the airpassages 24 are formed of the solid members 48 in order .to prevent themoisture in the air in the air passages 24 from contacting the drydeliquescent material in the hopper M and in the upper portions of thespaces 26 and causing the deliquescent solid particles to unite in asolid mass bridging across the spaces 26, thereby pre-' venting the drysolid particles from flowing freely downinto the spaces 26.

The surfaces of the deliquescent solid material -25 in the spaces 26 isgradually melted by the water vapor, absorbed'from the air in the airpassages 24, into a saturated deliquescent solution which flows down theporous sides 31 pof the spaces 26 on to and across the plates 29 inalternate direction, at right angles to and absorbing moisture from theair flow, until it reaches the bottom of the case H] in a dilutedcondition and wastes away through the drain ti, together with anymoisture which may be condensed fromthe air by the precooling coil I3which drains through the weep hole ,42. The ends 43 of the slopingplates 29, which are exposed to the air flow, are bent up .at a'n angleto confine the deliquescent solution to the said plates-29. The upperedges 44 of the plates 29 are attached to the sidesqf the .case [,0 andthe lower edges 45 of the plates 29 by means of are bent down at anangle and are provided with a series of notches 46 to -break up thesolution to cause it to drip in a series of small streams so as to beevenly distributed over the surfaces of the succeeding platesunderneath.

Air passed in contact with a deliquescent solid will be dehydrated to anextremely dry condition due to the comparatively low vapor pressure ofthe deliquescent solid. Air passed in contact with a deliquescentsolution will be dehydrated to a normally dry condition due to thecomparatively normal vapor pressure of the deliquescent solution.

The degree of dehydration of the total volume of air is governed byvarying the proportions of the air passed in contact with thedeliquescent solid and that of the air passed in contact with thedeliquescent solution by means of the dampers l4 and I5, which open andclose oppositely.

Cooling water or other cooling means is supplied and wasted through thepipe 41 to and from the after-cooling coil 21 and to and from theprecooling coil I3. Either or both of the cooling coils can be used andthe amount of cooling is controlled by the motorized valve 48. When acomparatively high temperature cooling medium is used, the hand valves49 and 52 should be opened and the hand valves 50 and should be closed,thereby doing all of the cooling after the latent heat of the watervapor, absorbed by the deliquescent solids and solution, has beenconverted into sensible heat. When a comparatively low temperaturecooling medium is used, the hand valves 49 and 52 should be closed andthe hand valves and 5| should be opened in order to concentrate thehumidity by contracting the air volume to reduce the amount ofdeliquescent agent required, which decreases and increases inverselywith relative humidity. When a comparatively mean temperature coolingmedium is used, both cooling coils can be used in counterfiow principleby opening the hand valves 49 and 5| and closing the hand valves 50 and52.

Electric powerto operate the apparatus is supplied by the positive wire53 and the negative wire 54, which are connected to the low voltagetransformer 55 and are opened and closed by the switch 56. Branch wires51 and 58 are connected to the fan motor 3!. 55 a positive wire 59 isrun to the motorized valve 48 and another positive wire 60 is run to thedamper motor 20. From the motorized valve 48 the positive wires 6| and62 are run to the thermostat 63, and from the damper motor 231 the twopositive wires 64 and are run to the humidostat 66. The negative wire51, which indirectly connects with the damper motor 20, the motorizedvalve 48, the thermostat 63 and the humidostat 66, is shown grounded at68.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: on a rising temperature ofthe air in the space l2, the thermostat 63 completes a circuit throughthe positive wire 6| and the negative wire 61 to open the motorizedvalve 48, and on a lowering temperature of the air in. the said space,the thermostat 63 completes a circuit through the positive wire 62 andthe negative wire 61 to close the motorized valve 48, to regulate theamount of water supplied to either or both of the cooling coils l3 and27. On a rising humidity of the air in the space l2, the humidostat 56completes a circuit by means of the positive wire 64 and the negativewire 61 to operate the damper motor 20 to open the dampers l4 and toclose the dampers From the transformer I5 to increase the proportion ofair drawn through the air passages 24 in contact with the deliquescentsolid material 25 and to decrease the proportion of air drawn over andbetween the plates 29 in contact with the deliquescent solution, todecrease the humidity of the air in the space 28. On a decreasinghumidity of the air in the space l2, the humidostat 66 completes acircuit through the positive wire 65 and the negative wire 61 to operatethe damper motor 20 to close the dampers l4 and to open the dampers l5to decrease the proportion of air drawn through the air passages 24 incontact with the deliquescent solid material 25 and to increase theproportion of air drawn over and between the plates 29in contact withthe deliquescent solution to increase the humidity of the air in thespace 28.

It is intended that commercial dihydrate calcium chloride or anhydrouscalcium chloride in flake or granulated form, magnesium chloride, sodalime or other deliquescent solids which are dissolved by the vaporsabsorbed from the air or gases may be used in this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent is:

1. An air conditioning cabinet having an air inlet and an air outletdefined therein, a storage hopper located in the central upper portionof said cabinet, means defining a sealable opening in said hopper forcharging the hopper at intervals with a solid, deliquescent material,the walls of said cabinet defining an air course between said inlet andoutlet, a reticular receptacle projecting into said air course andhaving clearance with said walls, walls defining a gravity flowdischarge passage between said hopper and receptacle for continuouslyreplenishing the same with solid material from said hopper, said lastnamed walls being of sufficient length to prevent access of air fromsaid air stream to said deliquescent material adjacent the point ofentrance to said passage from said hopper to prevent the bridging ofsaid deliquescent material across said point of entrance, and means formoving said air stream between said inlet and outlet and past saidreceptacle in wiping relation with the walls thereof.

2. An air conditioning cabinet as set forth in claim 1 having spreadingmeans for presenting liquefied material to the air stream passingthrough the cabinet, said spreading means being located below saidreceptacle and in said air stream, and means for discharging wastematerials from said spreading means exteriorly of the cabinet.

3. An air conditioning unit to be supported in an air course comprisingone or more receptacles of open work construction, a hopper for solid,deliquescent material of sealed construction except for a dischargeopening into said receptacle, Walls defining said discharge opening,said last named walls being of sufiicient length to prevent access ofair from said air stream to said deliquescent material adjacent .thepoint of entrance to said discharge opening from said hopper to preventthe bridging of said deliquescent material across said point of entranceto provide for the continuous replenishment of said receptacle from saidhopper at a rate corresponding to the liquefaction of solid material insaid receptacle, and air course defining structure to direct the airflow pastsaid receptacle in wiping relation with the sides thereof,whereby liquefaction of the solid material is confined to the areasimmediately adjacent the open work construction in said receptacle.

4. An air conditioning unit to be supported in an air course comprisingone or more receptacles of open work construction, a hopper for solid,deliquescent material of sealed construction except for a dischargeopening into said receptacle, walls defining said discharge opening,said last named walls being of sufficient length to prevent access ofair from said air streams to said deliquescent material adjacent thepoint of entrance to said discharge opening from said hopper to preventthe bridging of said deliquescent material across said point of entranceto provide for the continuous replishment of said receptacle from saidhopper at a rate corresponding to the liquefaction of solid material insaid receptacle, air course defining structure to direct the air flowpast said receptacle in wiping relation with the sides thereof, wherebyliquefaction of the solid material is confined to the areas immediatelyadjacent the open work construction in said receptacle, and a pluralityof drip pans having open discharge ends located below the level of saidfirst means and disposed in said air course, said drip pans being solocated as to receive liquefied material from said receptacle, said pansbeing shaped and disposed to cascade liquid from one pan to another withthe direction of the flow being transverse with the flow of said 15 aircourse.

HIRAM JOSEPH KAUFMAN.

